Wife and Living room friendly acoustic treatment

Hi,

I hope this is the right section of the forum to get feedback on this question.

My audio system is in our living/family room. The good news is that the space has a shape that has no 90 degree angles, with a pretty complex shape. Big leather seating surrounds the area where the multi-channel speaker system is directed, and I have little problems with the low end.

However, this is a south Florida house, and we have tiled floors (outside of an large area rug right in the listening area) and a long and tall wall (currently without decoration) that is a far border of the listening area.

I am looking for suggestions on solutions to tame the type of undesirable sound reflections that I know are happening in my space. I want to treat the described long wall with some kind of absorbtive panels, but they have to be acceptable to my wife and fit in with the decor.

Does anyone have experience and solutions in this regard?

Thanks

 

How about a photo of the room in question, I think then people could help you more.

 

My immediate thought as well.

This thread might actually be the most contradictory title of all time here.

 

LOL

 

OK, good suggestion

 

You might want to look into Gik Acoustics. They can make custom panels and traps in any color or design. They call them "art panels". You could even get your wife to choose or design the color/pattern/picture!

http://www.gikacoustics.com/product-category/artpanels/

 

An absorbing decorative rug hung on the wall or perhaps some leafy plants to break up the reflections.

 

I tried the hanging rug suggestion. The wife said "too much like a dorm back in '74"

 

Then my suggestion of a black light painting won't fly.

 

A velvet Elvis would work

 

I think this is a really good idea. Let the wife get involved in choosing.

 

Just staple egg cartons to the walls and call it good.

 

Drapes that can be pulled across the large window behind the couch... and place the Velvet Elvis on the blue wall by the door.

 

If we are discussing surround sound there are so many possibilities with seating positions and speakers that I wouldn't know where to start, so I'm going to look at just the main speakers. Each seat position will sound different.

I suggest you try the following to see what is causing the reflections that you don't like. I'm not saying to carry out the solutions permanently as that may not be acceptable but to experiment to find the cause. Once you know the cause we can see what the solutions might be.

The strongest reflections are 'first' reflections. Imagine a line from the tweeter/mid range drivers like a light ray bouncing off a mirror to your ear, the mirror being a wall, ceiling, table etc.. 'Second' reflections bounce of two walls, or a floor then wall, then to your ear, etc.. but as the number of reflections increase so the signal is weaker. Look for first and second reflections.

Speakers usually give out the reflective sound frequencies in a conical shape, spreading outwards at say thirty degrees. Outside that cone the sound is weaker.

Using that assumption it doesn't look like you are getting side wall reflections off the main speakers.

The coffee tables and foot stool may be a source of reflections. Move them out temporarily to hear what that does.

Leather generally seems to be more reflective then fabric. Covering the chairs with throws may have some impact (in the divorce courts perhaps!).

You may also get second reflections off the screen (via the back wall) and you could cover that with a blanket, or alter the horizontal or vertical angle just slightly.

Despite the rug you may still be getting reflections off the floor. Move the rug to midway between the chair and speaker.

Fish are very reflective because they are shiny. Get a rat instead - it's furry and therefore a better absorber (sorry, am I being a bit silly now?).

Anyway, that's my thoughts for the moment.

I think we are mostly two channel listeners on here (I am anyway) so perhaps a home theatre forum might be a better source of advice.

 

Are they not just framed fabric art?

 

Nice reef tank.

 

well, It might be appropriate only on very rare special occasions when she decides its OK to get retro freaky.

I have been trying to invent paint that can change color and characteristic by remote control. Any fellow inventors want to join my company?